Effect of PVC microplastics on soil microbial community and nitrogen availability under laboratory-controlled and field-relevant temperatures

Comparative study of the effects of pristine and aged PBAT microplastics on soil microbial community composition and nitrogen transformation

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Pristine and UV-aged PBAT biodegradable microplastics both altered soil nitrogen cycling, boosting microbial biomass and nitrogen-fixing bacteria while significantly suppressing nitrification rates by up to 68%, with UV aging moderating some of these effects. The finding that biodegradable plastics still disrupt key soil nutrient pathways challenges the assumption that they are environmentally benign alternatives to conventional plastics.

Effects of plastispheres and pristine microplastics on sediment microbial communities and nitrogen cycling under global warming

The Effect of N Mineralization, Nitrification and Ammonification Rates in Soils Contaminated with Microplastics

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Researchers found that polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET microplastics all disrupt soil nitrogen cycling, with polypropylene having the most harmful effect — reducing the availability of nitrogen that plants need to grow, raising concerns about long-term agricultural soil health in contaminated areas.

Microplastics in agricultural soils: Impacts on soil microbial communities, nutrient cycling, earthworm health, and soil ecosystem functions

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This review pulls together existing research showing that tiny plastic bits building up in farm soil, from sources like plastic mulch and sewage sludge, are harming the soil itself, disrupting the microbes and earthworms that keep it healthy and fertile. This matters because damaged soil means reduced crop growth and food security over time, and these same microplastics can carry harmful chemicals and heavy metals that may end up in our food, water, and air. The researchers stress that without action to reduce plastic pollution now, the damage to farmland could become permanent.

Distinct Influence of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Microorganisms and Nitrogen Cycling: Emphasizing the Effect of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid

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A one-month soil experiment comparing polyethylene, PVC, and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics found that smaller particles and PLA had the greatest disruptive effects on bacterial diversity, nitrogen cycling, and enzyme activity, inhibiting nitrification while enhancing denitrification. The finding that biodegradable plastics can be equally or more disruptive to soil microbiomes than conventional plastics complicates assumptions that they represent a safe environmental alternative.